


Delicate

by sprucetree



Category: Star Trek: Lower Decks (Cartoon)
Genre: Brief description of a wound, Constructive Criticism Welcome, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Mariner and T'Ana briefly show up but they're just in the background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:02:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26455306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sprucetree/pseuds/sprucetree
Summary: Tendi and Rutherford both work well as friends, sure. But are either of them ready to make the jump to being a couple?
Relationships: Sam Rutherford/D'Vana Tendi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	Delicate

**Author's Note:**

> I saw that no one had written about these two yet, and was immediately overcome with the need to start a tag. They're so different than Mariner and Boimler, but so refreshingly sweet.

Spooning another bite of pudding into her mouth, Tendi stared out the side of the port into the dark reaches of space surrounding them. Another day of attending to the various residents of the Cerritos, whose injuries ranged from mere broken bones to… whatever had gone wrong down in the warp core a few hours prior. Glancing at her PADD, she shuddered a bit in her seat at the memory, then straightened up again, feeling the cold metal of the chair press against her back. 

_I could do without remembering that while trying to eat,_ she thought to herself with a nervous chuckle, recounting the screams of pain from the ten or so crew members who had stumbled in, seeking help from her and the other ensigns. Lost in thought, she almost didn’t notice the man approaching her, his cybernetic implant shining softly in the chaotic bustle of the mess hall.

Suddenly, he cleared his throat once. “Hey, Tendi,” Rutherford began to say, “did you hear about that--”

“Oh, here, hold on a second,” she politely interjected, eyebrows furrowed. The second she turned around to greet him, her eyes had locked onto a small piece of what looked to be a piece of fuzz hiding under a lock of his hair. Hopping out of her seat to stand on her tiptoes, she reached her hand out and grabbed it between her pointer finger and thumb, flicking it to the floor with ease. 

In reply, she got a gentle smile, his face close enough to hers that she could see a tiny scratch on his cheek. Probably from some engineering mishap in the Jefferies tubes recently. For some reason she glanced at it a second longer than most people would have.

“Thanks,” Rutherford said. She nodded once in reply, noting how his eyes nervously darted away from her gaze and then refocused a second later. For some reason, it made her wonder if she went a bit too far with her doting at times. As they both settled down at the table, Rutherford reached his hand up to comb through his dark hair once absentmindedly. 

Reaching for her spoon, Tendi suddenly realized she’d interrupted something he was saying and snapped her head back up. “Ok. Now spill!” 

Rutherford shot back a grin as he reached around to grab his tablet. Smoothly sliding his tray of tacos to the side, he scrolled through the PADD and held it out so she could see the lengthy paragraph of information he was looking at. 

“So, it turns out that that planet the away team just visited is holding a yearly festival, and as a thank you and a way to spread good will, they issued an open invitation to any crew members on the Cerritos who want to join them! And I was just thinking that maybe--”

Even before he finished, Tendi knew exactly what he was thinking. Interrupting his slightly hesitant question, she beamed and clenched her fists in excitement. “Yes, yes, yes! Oh, totally, let’s go!” She didn’t even need to hear the time or day. Her answer would be the same either way.

Rutherford noted her excitement and kept talking, face downturned as he read off the memo. “There’s some local food, performances, and even a traditional dance that everyone can join in on!” 

Clapping her hands once, she squealed. “Oh, a dance!”

“Yeah! I’d totally be up for that!”

“Same!” Tendi replied hurriedly, feeling her heart beat faster as the word shot from her mouth in her usual upbeat tone. Under the table, her right leg bounced up and down, the toes of her boots uncomfortably mashed against the front of her foot.

 _Hmm. That’s weird._ Keeping her expression light even as her mind raced, she turned her attention back to her half-empty pudding cup.

She didn’t usually feel like this around Rutherford. Ever since they had gotten to know each other, which was practically the minute she came aboard the Cerritos, they had been almost inseparable. Sure, it was fun to hang out with Mariner and Boimler, and the four of them always had a great time together, but her and Rutherford just… clicked. He just had such an endearing, good-natured attitude about him, she felt like she could talk about anything and he wouldn’t mind. Not to mention he was as insanely talented and super passionate about engineering as she was about being in sciences. He trusted her, he respected her, and he wasn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe in a friendly competition with her, if need be. But lately, it felt like those feelings of friendship that had blossomed between them had shifted to something different, something new. 

And it scared her.

She had no clue whether or not Rutherford felt the same way. Sure, they worked well as friends. But being in a romantic relationship could be a lot different. She didn't want to ruin what she had, even accidentally. 

“And look, there's a showcase for musicians too! You could bring your drum set.” 

Shaking herself out of the dark cloud of worry hanging over her head, she focused on his words and tried to muster up a peppy enough reply. “Oh, yeah true! I should.” 

The two sat quietly for a moment as she ate the remainder of her pudding and Rutherford scrolled through the PADD some more, gaze still locked onto the bright screen. Out of the corner of her eyes, she thought she saw him swallow once before his voice piped up again, uncharacteristically shaky and hesitant.

“Um, a-actually, I was kind of thinking that maybe we could go… together. Meaning, as--” 

“Hey, you two! Tendi! Rutherford! What kind of trouble are you getting into today?”

Mariner’s boisterous greeting interrupted the hushed conversation as she swung the third empty chair at the table around and sat in it backwards, legs sticking out of either side and arms folded over the top as she shot them both a wide grin. 

“Hi, Mariner,” Tendi replied quickly, still keeping an eye on Rutherford. He greeted Mariner with a wave, his face only showing a momentary glimpse of disappointment before going back to its usual polite smile. 

“My shift just ended, so I’m hanging out for a bit,” Mariner continued with a sigh, pushing her sleeves one at a time. They had likely fallen down at some point, since their usual position was halfway up her arms, a clear dress code violation. Quite honestly, Tendi thought it was kind of funny how dedicated she was to keeping them rolled up. It was almost like her own version of a uniform, in a way.

“Probably gonna take a nap after getting some lunch. But… ok--” Mariner held her hands out in front of her, eyes wide as she geared up to tell a story. “Holy shit. Everyone on the bridge today was annoying as hell! I went up there because Ransom kept requesting coffee, and Boimler was sick or whatever so he wasn’t around, and no one else wanted to go get it for him. But then, of _course_ \--”

As Mariner continued animatedly speaking, complete with ample hand gestures, Tendi noticed Rutherford growing more and more antsy. First, his fingers tapped the top of the table lightly and then he glanced around the room, until he finally cleared his throat loud enough both girls looked over at him.

“I, uh, maybe I should head out. You know, Jefferies tubes and all that, they wait for no one!” Awkwardly gathering up his PADD and half-eaten lunch in his hands, he started to get up out of his seat.

“Well, they do but… alright. See ya.” Mariner sounded disappointed but she wasn’t going to force him to stay if he wanted to leave. 

“Bye, Mariner.” He paused for a second, then added without thinking, “Bye, Tendi. See you at the festival.” 

Mariner’s eyebrows shot up. “What? A festival?”

“Uh… yeah!” Rutherford’s voice sounded cheerful enough, but there was an undercurrent of some other emotion Tendi couldn’t place running through the words. 

Before she could stop herself, Tendi added excitedly, “Um, maybe Mariner and Boimler could come too!” 

_Augh, why did I say that?_ She didn’t care if it was just her and Rutherford. In fact, she preferred it. Some fear deep within her had made her blurt those words out, and she regretted listening to it.

“Yeah, s-sure!” Maybe it was her imagination, but Rutherford’s normally warm expression seemed to have dimmed a little at the suggestion. 

Mariner gave a noncommittal shrug, her eyes darting between the two of them. “Alright.” 

“Well… bye, you two!” And with a quick wave, Rutherford was off, speed-walking through the crowded cafeteria and out into the hallway. Leaning back in her seat, Mariner silently watched him before whipping her head around.

“Huh, what’s up with him?” she stated out loud to no one in particular.

Feeling a hot wave of embarrassment creep up her face as she thought about what just occurred, Tendi blinked and did her best to smile. “W-Who knows? Maybe he’s just tired.” 

“Hmm. Yeah.” 

Mariner narrowed her eyes but didn’t say anything else about it as Tendi finished up her meal, spoon clacking lightly against her teeth and a thousand thoughts on her mind.

* * *

“You got that covered?” 

Dr. T’Ana’s rough voice interrupted Tendi’s daydreams. _Oops._ She must have been standing there staring off into the beeping monitor for a second too long. 

“Yep!” Blinking, Tendi grasped the PADD and silently read out the symptoms of the man laying in front of her, surveying his oddly mottled blue skin and blank stare. “Seems like Andronesian encephalitis to me.” 

Giving a wry grin, T’Ana jammed her hands in the oversized pockets in her medical jacket and gave her a rough nod. “Glad to see you’re awake today, Ensign.” 

With a nervous giggle, Tendi watched quietly as the head medical chief noted the heart rate and breathing of the patient on the screen above the bed before giving a nod. Then, she darted over to the other side of the room, clearly focused on another task already. The Andorian ensign’s eyes were darting between the two of them, his arm still solidly gripping his side. 

“Could I get some neurozine before too much longer?” he asked flatly.

Tendi bit down a small flash of annoyance. It seemed like every other day, patients gave her forceful hints about what she should do. Although it didn’t phase her, she did sometimes wish they would trust her more, even if she was rather young and new to the Cerritos. “Well, that wouldn’t react well with your system. Trust me, the anesthizine I gave you will do the trick just fine!” she shot back in her most upbeat, professional voice. 

In reply, the man just scoffed and turned his face around. 

“Ooookay, then.” Whispering the words to herself, she turned on her heel to look for some kind of tri-ox compound. She knew off the top of her head that medicine should ease the skin condition and help him breathe better than he currently was. Narrowly dodging other ensigns rushing around in the familiar blue and white medical uniform, she finally got to the cabinet and started to prep the needle. 

Then, a familiar panicked voice broke her concentration.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit.”

Almost dropping the vial on the ground, Tendi whipped her head around. Rutherford was standing in the main doorway to the medbay, blood dripping steadily down his leg and onto the floor. One hand was slammed against the wall, and the other one seemed to be holding the long gash in his leg as he desperately tried to keep it from getting worse. Scarily, it seemed to have the exact opposite effect, if the red liquid on his hand was any measure. 

“Oh my gosh, Rutherford!” The fear in her voice was palpable. 

Instantly forgetting the needle on the desk near her, she dashed over to help him, slinging one hand around his torso to right his unsteady gait. At first, he initially resisted it, still trying to stand without her help. But then, he slumped against her, lacing his arm fully around her. She tried to not think about how nice his grip seemed around her shoulder. _Get it together, girl!_ she chirped nervously to herself. 

“Hey, Tendi!” He shot a quick nervous smile her way before succumbing to another wince of pain. “I-I uh, had a bit of a run-in a few minutes ago. Turns out those alloyed fan blades are no joke. Especially when someone else forgets to put them away properly while replacing them…” 

Between the two of them, they made their way to the closest available bed without getting knocked off-kilter, their height difference more apparent with each uneven but unified step. With a short grunt, Rutherford managed to climb up enough on the bed to be able to lay down. Tendi instantly reached for her medical tricorder, but then stood in place as she realized she had been completely thrown off her previous rhythm with another patient by Rutherford’s sudden appearance.

“Wait, wait, but I was trying to help--” Twisting her head around, she tried to glance at the Andorian from before through the staff rushing back and forth. Suddenly, she heard a cough directly behind her, followed by a low rumble.

“I got it, Ensign.” 

T’Ana’s whiskered face popped into view as she passed by, calmly flicking the previously discarded needle Tendi had been prepping. With an eye roll, she added in a low voice, “Just make sure it doesn’t happen again.” 

Far from feeling discouraged, Tendi beamed at the words. Her boss’s gruff attitude couldn’t hide the kind heart lying under the surface. “Will do, Dr. T’Ana!” 

The next couple minutes passed without any other major issues. Tendi quickly patched up the gash-- only briefly stopping to comment on the oddly unique abrasion lines as Rutherford described in detail the exact mechanism that caused it in the first place-- and before long, their hurried exchanges had meandered back into an easy conversation. 

“So… hey…” 

Rutherford’s tone was strangely serious. Tendi glanced up from the medical evaluation form on her PADD and answered hesitantly, “Yeah?”

“I know that, uh…” A short pause. “I know you invited Mariner and Boimler along on the trip to the festival, but I was kind of, um, thinking that maybe… it could just be us.” 

A sigh of relief filled her chest. “Oh, good! I’d love that!” Then, realizing her words seemed at odds with her suggestion from earlier, she added, “I-I don’t know why I said that before.” Maybe her previous stray thoughts about her feelings had scared her more than she wanted to admit.

Rutherford beamed, clearly happy with the outcome. “No problem. And well… I guess I was kind of at fault too. I wasn’t really being clear.” He laughed a bit and then bit his tongue.

“Oh?” For some reason, her heart started to speed up. _Is this what I think it is? Is he going to say what I think he’s going to say?_

“Yeah,” Rutherford replied with more than a bit of disappointment in his voice. “What I really wanted to ask you was if you wanted to…” He took a short breath in. “Go out on a date. With me.” 

The last few words came out in a garbled mess, and he held his breath as he looked up at her, eyes wide. Her mind seemed to go blank for a minute as she processed what she just heard.

“You... you were?" The words got stuck in her throat. Then, almost like a lightbulb going off, the events of the last few days all clicked into place. 

A wide grin covered her face and she blurted out, "Yes, yes! I would love that!" 

Rutherford smiled back, obviously relieved. "I'm glad! I-I would have asked you sooner but..." He grimaced and looked off to the side of the bed. “I was kind of worried you’d think it would be weird to go out with me. Because…” With a sullen face, he slowly tapped the metal casing of his cybernetic implant with his right hand.

“What?!” Now it was her turn to be completely flabbergasted. “Of course not!”

“I mean, I was worried you’d think it was strange that it was Vulcan, you know? That my emotions would be all messed up.” 

“No, never!” Tendi shot back confidently. “You’re always so sweet and such a gentleman, and…” She allowed her words to peter off, feeling embarrassed for even going that far. He grinned and looked away, clearly pleased but still a tad embarrassed too. 

A moment passed where neither spoke, both standing and sitting quietly, as they realized what just went down.

“Guess we’ve both been pretty silly, huh?” Tendi whispered eventually, a tender smile on her face. 

“Yeah,” Rutherford replied with a hint of a blush. Fiddling with the blanket on the medbay bed, he added, “You’re the coolest person I ever met, and I just… didn’t want to disappoint you.”

Tendi’s heart swelled at his words and, forgetting proper bedside manner for a second, she reached her to bring him in for a hug. His arms circled her shoulders, and she felt the warmth of him against her along with the soft feeling of his hair brushing against her cheek.

“Well, you’re the coolest person I ever met, so…” She giggled into his shoulder, half-embarrassed and half-relieved that what she had worried for so long about wasn’t even an issue in the first place. Her stomach jumped again when she realized she had a date-- a real, actual date!-- with Rutherford. 

“Aww!” Squeezing her once back, he finally uncircled his arms. Slightly disappointed, she followed suit until she saw him subtly pointing at something behind her with a sheepish look on his face.

Dr. T’Ana was standing, arms crossed and with a smug grin on her face, only a few feet away. 

“Cute,” she muttered simply, before walking off with her hands still jammed in her pockets. 

Tendi and Rutherford shared a shocked glance before bursting into laughter.


End file.
